Treasury Designates Lashkar-E Tayyiba Leadership

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated eight individuals who hold leadership positions within the designated foreign terrorist organization, Lashkar-e Tayyiba (LET), pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224. LET is a Pakistan-based terrorist group with links to the Taliban, the Haqqani Taliban Network, and al-Qa’ida. The individuals targeted today include LET members based in Pakistan who are involved in LET’s propaganda campaigns, financial networks, and logistic support networks. Today’s targets also include military commanders directly responsible for the murderous 2008 Mumbai attacks as well as attacks on coalition and Afghan forces. Today’s designations are designed to undermine LET’s leadership and support networks of LET that have planned terrorist attacks around the world.

“Today’s action against LET is Treasury’s most comprehensive to date against this group and includes individuals participating in all aspects of LET’s operations – from commanders planning attacks to those managing LET’s relationships with other terrorist groups,” said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen. “Attacking LET’s facilitation networks is particularly important, since charitable donations LET raises in Pakistan – its primary revenue source – are used to fuel LET’s militant operations.”

LET was designated by the Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and under E.O. 13224 as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity in December 2001. LET was added to the UN 1267/1989 Committee's Consolidated List – its list of sanctioned terrorists – in May 2005.

Despite being banned by the Government of Pakistan in January 2002, LET continues to operate in Pakistan and throughout the region and engage in or support terrorist activities worldwide. LET has conducted numerous terrorist acts against Pakistani, Indian, Afghan, and U.S. interests and is responsible for the November 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed more than 160 people, including six Americans, and the July 2006 Mumbai train bombings that killed more than 180 people.

All of the individuals designated today pursuant to E.O. 13224 were designated for acting on behalf of or providing support either to LET itself or to previously designated members of LET. Today’s action prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in any transactions with these individuals and freezes any assets the designees have under U.S. jurisdiction.

Sajjid Mir

Sajjid Mir has been a senior member of LET since approximately 2001. From 2006 to 2011, Mir was in charge of LET's external operations and planned and directed various terrorist attacks on behalf of the group. As of 2011, Mir was involved in militant recruitment activities for LET, a responsibility he has had since at least 2001. Mir has also served as personal secretary to LET operations chief Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, and was responsible for Lakhvi's security as of 2010. Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi was designated by the U.S. pursuant to E.O. 13224 on May 27, 2008 and added to the UN 1267/1989 Consolidated List on December 10, 2008.

Mir was LET's project manager for the November 2008 terrorist attacks that killed 166 people and wounded 308 in Mumbai, India. In this capacity, Mir trained and provided guidance to the operatives involved in the attacks and directed the execution of hostages taken during the operation. Mir also directed the pre-operation target surveillance conducted by LET operative David Coleman Headley for the attacks. In late 2008, Mir and Headley met in Pakistan and discussed the prospect of an attack on the Jyllands-Posten newspaper in Copenhagen, Denmark. In March 2010, David Coleman Headley pled guilty to 12 U.S. federal terrorism charges, admitting that he participated in planning the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India and in planning later to attack the Danish newspaper.

As of 2005, Mir had directed LET training for operatives preparing for overseas recruiting, money laundering, and operational planning on behalf of LET. After September 11, 2001, Mir recruited four Virginia-based operatives, cleared them for LET's militant training, and directed them to monitor and research U.S. target sites.

Abdullah Mujahid

Abdullah Mujahid has been a member of LET since 1988. As of 2011, Mujahid was the senior commander for LET operations in Afghanistan and received LET fighters with past fighting experience into his command. Mujahid has served as LET's senior paramilitary commander for Afghanistan since circa mid-2008.

As of mid-2011, Mujahid was also in charge of LET maritime training activities in Punjab Province, Pakistan. As of 2009, Mujahid headed LET's air wing and, as of 2004, he was a member of LET's military council, alternatively referred to as Fedayan Kitab Wa Sunnah. Mujahid's LET assignments have also included serving as commander for operations along the Pakistan-India border. As of early 2003, Mujahid had replaced Azam Cheema as LET's chief of India operations. Azam Cheema was designated by the U.S. pursuant to E.O. 13224 on November 4, 2010.

Ahmed Yaqub

Ahmed Yaqub has been part of LET's operational leadership since 2003. As of 2011, Yaqub was the head of LET's maritime program, alternatively described as the group's naval wing. In this role, Yaqub looked after an LET cell run by Sajjid Mir for operational purposes. As of mid-2008, Yaqub was deputy to LET's operations chief Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, for whom he had worked since 1984. In this capacity, Yaqub served as a senior commander under Lakhvi and also as a senior member of the LET military wing. Yaqub was David Coleman Headley's handler from 2003 to 2004.

As of 2011, Yaqub also had been LET's chief for Bangladesh and Nepal operations. Yaqub had attempted to smuggle 60,000 rounds of ammunition from Pakistan into Bangladesh on behalf of LET as of late 2009, but failed when Bangladeshi authorities intercepted the shipment.

Yaqub has also had oversight of LET's operational finances. As of 2008-2009, he served as the chief accountant for LET operational activity and was responsible for funding LET's networks outside of Pakistan. During this period, Yaqub was also in charge of Lahkvi's financial affairs.

Hafiz Khalid Walid

Hafiz Khalid Walid has been a member of LET's central advisory committee since at least 2003 and has held various leadership positions in the group since at least 2006. He has run LET's political bureau since mid-2008, though Hafiz Abdur Rehman Makki holds the formal title as the bureau's head. In 2006, Walid was the deputy head of LET's foreign relations department. Hafiz Abdur Rehman Makki was designated by the U.S. pursuant to E.O. 13224 on November 4, 2010.

As of 2011, Walid actively engaged in LET political affairs under LET emir Hafiz Muhammad Saeed's direction. As of 2009, Walid served as Hafiz Muhammad Saeed's personal assistant and acted as LET's point of contact with high-end business contacts and other unidentified VIPs. Hafiz Muhammad Saeed was designated by the U.S. pursuant to E.O. 13224 on May 27, 2008 and added to the UN 1267/1989 Consolidated List on December 10, 2008.

As of late 2008, when multiple LET senior leaders were in detention following the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, Walid served as a lead LET official in Punjab Province, Pakistan.

Qari Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh

Qari Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh, a member of LET's central advisory committee, has held several different leadership positions in the group since approximately 2006. Sheikh has served as a leader in LET's foreign affairs department since 2006, including acting as the department's deputy director of political and foreign affairs between 2008 and 2009. As of mid-2008, Sheikh was also in charge of LET's Islamabad office, including managing LET's general operations in and around Pakistan's capital.

Between 2008 and 2011, Sheikh ran LET front organizations that were used to raise funds and recruit on behalf of the group. Sheikh ran Falah-e Insaniat Foundation (FIF), a front used by LET for fundraising purposes, from early 2009 until mid-2010, when he was replaced as the FIF head by Hafiz Abdur Rauf. FIF and Rauf were designated by the U.S. pursuant to Executive Order 13224 on November 24, 2010. Falah-e Insaniat Foundation was added to the UN 1267 Consolidated List on March 14, 2012.

As of early 2010, Sheikh was the head of LET's ulema (clerics) wing. Sheikh has also worked with LET's international donors. In late 2006 and late 2007, Sheikh was part of an LET delegation that traveled to the Gulf on behalf of LET seeking support.

Amir Hamza

As of 2011, Amir Hamza, a member of LET's central advisory committee, actively maintained LET's relationships with other groups under the direction of LET emir Hafiz Muhammad Saeed. Hamza has led an LET-associated charity and, as of 2010, was also an officer and member of an LET university trust that was led by Saeed.

Hamza's responsibilities as of mid-2010 also included publishing propaganda on behalf of LET. Hamza has served as editor of an LET weekly newspaper and, as of mid-2011, he was contributing articles to the LET publication. Hamza was also one of three LET leaders to negotiate the release of detained LET members as of mid-2010. Hamza served as the head of LET's "special campaigns" department as of mid-2009.

Abdullah Muntazir

Abdullah Muntazir has been an LET media official since at least 1999. As of 2011, Muntazir was still an LET media official, despite presenting himself to the media as an independent scholar on militancy issues, including those relating to LET.

As of mid-2010, Muntazir was the director of an LET-affiliated media and research organization, which was intended to coordinate LET's interaction with the media, monitor LET-related content in the media, and craft talking points for LET's use in the international media. In late 2010, Muntazir planned to make this organization self-sustainable by charging fees for media fixing and news distribution for local and international media organizations.

From 2005 to early 2009, Muntazir served as LET's spokesman for international media. Muntazir founded Ghazwa, an LET weekly publication and, as of 2008, was the publication's editor. In late 2008, Muntazir published a solicitation for donations to LET on the group's website; the plea provided "ten solid reasons" to financially contribute to LET and asked readers to "come join" the organization. As of mid-2008, Muntazir also ran LET's monthly children's magazine. In 2006 and 2007, Muntazir served as an LET press secretary.

As of mid-2008, Muntazir was also part of LET's junior leadership structure, charged with delivering speeches and recruiting members and supporters to LET from across Pakistan. As of late 2000, Muntazir was a member of LET's political wing.

Talha Saeed

Talha Saeed has been a prominent leader within LET since early 2005. As of mid-2011, Talha headed the group's teachers department, using this position to acquire facilities on behalf of LET. As of 2010, Talha also worked on websites to support LET's media operations as well as on indoctrination and propaganda programs. Talha founded an LET front group which he planned to use to pay journalists to write favorable stories on behalf of LET as of early 2009. As of mid-2008, Talha also ran LET's radio operations and worked for LET's main magazine.

As of mid-2009, Talha was traveling extensively throughout Pakistan to speak on behalf of LET. Talha was part of LET's junior leadership structure, charged with delivering speeches and recruiting members and supporters to LET from across Pakistan as of mid-2008.

Talha was also on the executive board of LET's foreign relations department, reporting to LET's head of foreign affairs, Hafiz Abdur Rahman Makki, in 2008. In late 2007, Talha was a member of an LET delegation that traveled to the Gulf seeking support.